Spring
by Red Okra
Summary: Neither of them expected that the wielder of the Ice Deck was capable of thawing the wall of ice around his heart. [Manga-verse: Manjoume x Asuka]
1. Ch 1: Solitary

**A/N:** I've just finished reading the manga of Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, and I have to admit I find it pretty good despite having relatively few chapters. Apart from the Planet card series, one thing I loved about it is Manjoume's character, which is completely different from his anime counterpart. Mind you, I still love his anime vesion, but there's a charm I find in his manga counterpart where he wasn't treated as a comic relief character (and somehow, the manga also managed to convince to ship Juudai and Manjoume, LOL). Anyway, with Manjoume x Asuka being one of the pairings I love in the anime, I wanted to explore the possibilities of that ship in their manga counterparts too, so here it is!

* * *

 **Spring**

 ** _/v/_ \- **to appear suddenly or unexpectedly from; to suddenly develop or appear.

 ** _/n/_ -** the season after winter and before summer

* * *

The stadium roared with anticipation from the audience, as the center platform staged a duel between Yuki Juudai and an aspiring Pro-League duelist. Away from public view, Manjoume watched by the sidelines, standing with his back leaned on one of the walls as Juudai took his first turn. It had always been his favorite spot when it came to watching duels, as he could obtain a better look at the match. Plus, not much spectators were present alongside him, which was also a good thing. He had been used to watching Duel Monster battles by himself ever since he started dueling as a child, his brothers having their own interests, and through the years, he found comfort in this solitary life, even until the spirit of Light and Darkness Dragon left him.

Actually, he had grown to embrace the comforts of being alone. He found it lonely, sometimes, yet with it came peace.

"I thought I'd find you here," a voice echoed from the hall behind him. It was familiar, and he found no other reason to be wary. Turning his head back slightly, he eyed the figure approaching him, nodding lightly in greeting.

"Tenjoin-kun."

He observed her lips curling upwards, giving him a small wave from her hand.

"Manjoume-kun," she said back in her typical cordial tone, just like he remembered from their academy days. She walked towards him in a normal pace, stopping only as she reached a closer distance to him. "I hope you don't mind if I watch here as well."

He only shrugged his shoulders, which he assumed she already took as affirmation as she propped her side on the wall opposite him.

"Where are…your friends," Manjoume asked as he glanced at her from his periphery, "Marufuji Sho and Misawa Daichi?"

"Both have important appointments today so they couldn't come," she explained, her eyes glued on the battle before them with Juudai's opponent summoning a level 4 monster card and ending his turn. She let out a sigh, their eyes now meeting. "A shame, really. Ever since we graduated, we rarely see each other due to different schedules. Meet ups like these are the only way we could actually catch up."

"I see," Manjoume commented simply.

As time passed, nothing else apart from intermittent remarks about Juudai's duel were exchanged between the two of them. If there was one thing that he found pleasant about having to share his usual viewing spot with another person, it was that Tenjoin Asuka was actually not a bad companion. Her insights were actually valid and substantial, not just random commentaries just for the sake of filling in the dead air between them. He was aware of Asuka's brilliance as they both reigned from the Obelisk Blue houses, and he respected her for wisdom, for living up to her rank.

She did have her moments of showing rather enthusiastic gestures whenever Juudai gained the upper hand of the battle, something he observed would tone down whenever she caught him looking at her.

"Is something wrong, Manjoume-kun?" she finally spoke. There was no tone of irritation as he initially expected, just one of curiosity.

"Nothing," he replied back nonchalantly, and it was essentially the truth. He did not find her gestures annoying, actually. If anything, it was almost adorable, for lack of better word. Perhaps he did not notice before, but it was rather interesting to see the usually composed wielder of the Ice Deck succumb to the delights of witnessing an exciting duel through frenzied gestures.

The battle went on, and it had not been an easy duel for Juudai, since his opponent managed to counter his attacks with various magic cards. This was expected of course, since Juudai was involved in a tournament against other top-ranking duelists, who most likely had similar records as him. It would take great skills and luck to be the winner in the end.

Soon enough, he proved that he did, as the former dropout from Osiris Red emerged victorious in the end.

"That Juudai, he certainly has come a long way, hasn't he," Asuka uttered, two hands clasped in front of her pleasingly.

He could not help but agree. He looked forward to battling him again some time. "He definitely has."

It took him a moment to realize that they were both exchanging smiles as the crowd thundered with cheers not only for Juudai's victory, but for the outstanding show in general.

"Come on, let's go to Juudai," Asuka remarked as she skipped ahead of him, seemingly going towards the stairway of the dueling platform, but not before turning her head towards him, waiting for him to follow her.

Manjoume stared at her for a few seconds. Normally, he would have exited the stadium without pleasantries exchanged because that was just how it was. Juudai knew that too and had no qualms about it.

But looking at the hopeful gleam in her eyes, he finally yielded, walking behind her.

Perhaps, not being alone isn't such a bad thing.


	2. Ch 2: Nostalgia

Asuka stared at the large box before her. She sighed, then covered her nose as she smacked away the dust settling by its top. Wiping away the remaining dirt with a rag, she read the familiar handwriting labeled at its top.

 _DUEL ACAMEDIA DAYS_

Asuka smiled. It contained almost all of her belongings during her stay in the dormitories of Duel Academia. Covering her nose again as she opened the box causing more dust particles to fly out, Asuka took out a large book which she immediately recognized as their yearbook. Wiping the front covers with the same rag as before, she opened the book at a random page, revealing a spread image of their graduating batch.

It had been almost two years since she graduated, yet she could still picture the memories as if they happened just yesterday.

At the center front row she could see the five of them, the top duelists from their batch—there was Yuki Juudai, the ever-so-optimistic Juudai, with one arm wrapped around his bestfriend Sho while the other arm was waving vigorously at the camera. He never moved out of Osiris Red, oddly enough, despite his superior dueling records, but he was proud to be there anyway. She knew how greatly he loved his red uniform too.

Meanwhile, Sho, who had grown out of the shadow of his brother Kaiser Ryo as he ascended into Obelisk Blue with his excellent grades, was trying to pry off Juudai's arm since it was probably suffocating him, but he was smiling, anyway.

Beside them was Misawa, who proudly showed a thumbs-up gesture with a grin on his face. He was still sporting the Ra Yellow uniform, despite being granted entrance to Obelisk Blue with his above-average grades and dueling records. He reasoned that he would only ascend there once he became the top student, which meant beating both Juudai and Manjoume, which unfortunately for him did not happen. Nonetheless, he was still proud to be in the Yellow dorms and was not a sore loser, as they may say, which she still found admirable.

On the other side was her, sporting a peace sign, while at the very middle stood the top graduating student, Manjoume Jun, who had his arms folded in front of him and wearing his usual scowl, looking completely out-of-place with the gleeful smiles surrounding him. Save for his loss against Juudai and Ryo during his first year, his duel records had been pristine while his grades were also top-notch.

There were days when she did wonder how everyone was doing after all these years. She kept in touch with most of them.

There was Juudai, whose duels she had yet to miss watching, aiming for the Pro-League and doing well in reaching his goal currently.

There was also Sho who initially aspired to become a professional duelist just like his brother, but shifted his path to take graduate courses on Duel Monsters Technology instead.

There was also Misawa, taking on the Pro-League like Juudai while taking short courses on engineering relating to Duel Monsters. He had been asking her out for dinner for the past few months, but it had yet to happen too. Whenever he sent an invitation, she'd either have to ask to reschedule it or postpone at the last minute. It was ridiculous, really, because on the day he'd invite her out to eat, there was either an important exam that she needed to study for or some paperwork she had to finish. She was never one to assume, but Misawa never outright said his intentions so she regarded them as friendly dinners where they could catch up. Besides, Misawa himself said it was alright whenever she had to cancel.

She didn't know about Manjoume, however, and while all of them expected that he'd join the Pro-League as well, he had not been as active as Juudai was. She had seen him mostly watching by the sidelines, and rarely taking the center stage and dominating the battlefield with his Light and Darkness Dragon.

Perhaps he was just like Sho and her, who may have realized a different dream apart from becoming a Pro-duelist. At the moment, she aspired to become a professor at Duel Academia, and to do that, she had to pursue her master's degree in Duel Monsters Education first. It didn't stop her from entering small tournaments during her free time nevertheless, since she did not want to become rusty from the practical aspect of the field.

She browsed some pages of the yearbook before placing it down on the table, grabbing hold of another object inside her box. They mostly consist of her notes in her first and second years, which she proceeded to clean up as well. They might come in handy with her current studies, after all.

She came across an old magazine from her box which she remembered they used for their history class. The front cover featured a beaming Junior Champion, holding his trophy proudly with a youthful grin. Somehow, it made her chuckle sadly.

In the three years she had known him in the academy, finding Manjoume with a genuine smile on his face was a rare gem. When she was in middle school, she had once watched his duel on television and witnessed his spectacular performance. Even Fubuki, the one who basically introduced Duel Monsters to her, was impressed by his battle. She had to admit, she was excited when she learned that they were both enrolling in the Duel Academia the same year, because it meant seeing him duel in actual flesh. While she did witness him perform marvelously on the academy stadium as on the TV screen, there was something completely different about him. He no longer smiled just as he had been when he was the Junior Champion.

She thought that even after his and Juudai's duel against the possessed Mr. MacKenzie, he would have changed, but for some reason, he seemed much reserved and melancholic, if that was even possible. She assumed it had something to do with his and Juudai's spirit monsters leaving, although she wasn't sure herself. That battle in itself was surreal and did not feel real at all.

She flicked the cover back and placed the magazine beside the other notes on her table.

Manjoume-kun, she realized, has always been alone in his journey.

She decided that next time they meet, she would invite him over to watch duels with them. It wouldn't hurt to try.


	3. Ch 3: Astound

Asuka tapped her foot impatiently as she stood by the queue going towards the cashier. Her eyes scanned the menu of the coffee shop and she still could not believe the extravagant prices of the beverages they offered. It's not that she couldn't afford them, of course, but sometimes she wished Fubuki would be more practical sometimes. Trust her brother to have such expensive tastes; he probably got used to his lavish lifestyle in America. She sighed, and told her order to the barista as soon as it was her turn.

After taking her order, she realized that she had another problem. It was a busy Sunday afternoon, and almost all seats were taken. She took a glance at the entrance door and Fubuki still was not in sight. Again, trust her brother to make her experience something as troublesome as this.

Sighing again, she walked around the shop with her tray in hand in search for a vacant chair. She was already at the third person who responded to her that yes, this seat is taken, so okay, she had to search for another one. Turning around the corner, she spotted one table with two chairs by the end, but someone was already occupying one of the seats. That someone, with his strikingly familiar hairstyle with black locks, already noticed her presence as he looked away from the laptop screen in front of him.

"Manjoume-kun," she greeted, sending him a small smile.

He momentarily stopped typing as he regarded her back in his usual formal tone. "Tenjoin-kun."

"Are you with someone?" she asked hopefully, and when he shook his head, she almost squealed with glee. Almost, of course, since she had good impulse control. She didn't want him to look at her funny again. "Would you mind if I sit with you for a while? I'm just waiting for somebody."

"I don't mind," came his short reply, as he slightly shifted his laptop forward to make space for Asuka's tray as she set it down. Asuka was thankful that somehow, Manjoume was able to tolerate her presence. She was luckier than Juudai, she guessed, who seemed to tick off Manjoume quite a lot, which was funny since Juudai was a great guy...who may be too happy and overly optimistic sometimes. Honestly, the two of them seem to be at the opposite of each spectrums.

But she realized, of course, that the reason why Manjoume could possibly tolerate her was that they did not have much interactions in the past and he had yet discover something annoying or undesirable about her.

She took a quick glance at him, who was busy with his laptop, before looking away immediately. She decided not to ponder on the thought too much and just act naturally around him.

As Manjoume continued typing whatever it was on his keyboard, Asuka settled for observing the surroundings of the shop, admiring the sophisticated furnishings of the place as she grabbed the drink from her tray. It must also be the reason why everything seemed so expensive. The paintings hanging on the intricate walls, the delicate vases sitting by the stands, Asuka tried not to cringe at the thought of possibly damaging them and paying for the compensations. She also realized that there were actually more decorations than the actual chairs and tables. What was this, a museum or a coffee shop?

Amidst the chattering crowds and classical music playing, it was Manjoume who broke the silence between them, surprising her a bit. "Who are you meeting, Tenjoin-kun?"

"My brother," she replied back, idly fiddling with some of her hair strands, "He seems so fond of this place."

"I see, so Fubuking likes this place," he stated, peering his eyes away from the screen for a moment, which she could've sworn glinted with amusement.

"Yeah." She tried hard not to cringe hearing that audacious nickname of her brother either. "So do you frequent this place too, Manjoume-kun?"

He was silent for a moment, seemingly pondering on how to reply. "You could say that, I guess."

Finding nothing else to say, Asuka only smiled before taking a sip from her drink. The coolness of her ice-blended Frappuccino almost sent a shiver down her spine, though the sweet flavor of caramel entranced her taste buds definitely. Perhaps paying more than usual for caffeine just this once was excusable. "Mmmhm, this is great," she said, but almost slapped her mouth for blurting out her thoughts.

"Really?" A smirk formed on his lips, as he took a sip from his own cup. "I guess… My brother would be glad to hear that."

She raised a curious brow. "Brother?"

"Yes," he responded back coolly, but seemingly avoided her gaze, "He owns this place."

Thankfully, she already brought down her drink, because if she hadn't, she would have choked on it with his revelation. But of course! She almost forgot that she was with _the_ Manjoume Jun, the youngest brother amongst the Manjoume group, one of the most powerful corporations in Japan! They're one of the richest in the country too, and she wouldn't be surprised if they actually owned the whole shopping mall. How could she not have made the connection earlier?

It suddenly dawned to her that she did not exactly have pleasant thoughts about the whole establishment at first—particularly about the prices not being too budget-friendly and the whole overly-sophisticated setup—and she was glad she saved herself from the embarrassment by not ranting it to him earlier.

"Don't worry, if you didn't have good thoughts about this place earlier, I respect that. Not like I'm going to rat you out on my brother or anything," he said as if reading her mind, much to her discomfort. He shrugged his shoulders, taking another sip from his cup before grimacing. "I actually think this espresso is too bitter for my tastes."

 _"_ You should try this, then," she said almost automatically, offering her drink, which she immediately regretted after seeing the dumbfounded look on his face. She internally smacked her head several times, feeling the heat rise up her cheeks. Again, how could she forget?

This was not Juudai, who would've probably snatched her drink after being given permission, nor was this Sho, who would've accepted out of curiosity and would've offered his own drink out of politeness. Nor was this Misawa, who she observed was seemingly eager at the premise of her sharing something with him even back in the Academia days. Nor was this Ryo-san, someone she already knew from childhood through his friendship with Fubuki, who would've probably declined but still thank her out of courtesy.

This was Manjoume-kun, who probably barely considered her an acquaintance. How could she not know her boundaries? This _was_ Manjoume-kun! The quiet and reserved duelist who was also a member of the upper class society! He probably thought she's some sort of brute, offering a drink that she had already tasted!

Before she could take back her statement to save her dignity, he reached out his arm and took the drink from her hand, his pale fingers brushing against hers momentarily. For some reason, it made her face flush even more. It was probably the caffeine, yes.

And to add more to her surprise, he actually sipped from her straw with no trace of disgust at all.

"Mmhm, it doesn't taste bad, right," he commented a matter-of-factly, before handing it back to her with a hint of a smile. "I'll keep that in mind and order it next time."

Being overloaded with various emotions—embarrassment, discomfort, just to name a few, and why is she even blushing?—Asuka never expected that she'd be the one not saying anything, considering she was with Manjoume!

"Why hello there, Asuka, my dearest sister!"

For the first time in her life, she was absolutely relieved to hear the voice of her brother again. She turned to Fubuki and watched him as he greeted Manjoume as well.

 _"_ Ah, if it isn't Junior Champion Manjoume-kun, or should I say, Top Graduating Student Manjoume-kun! Fancy seeing you here," her brother gleefully remarked, sporting a tray on his hand.

"Fubuking," Manjoume likewise greeted politely, though with far less enthusiasm, which was unsurprising of course. He took one last swig from his cup and started to pack away his laptop.

"Wait, you don't have to leave—" Asuka suddenly blurted out, causing both men to look at her. She tried to ignore the smug look on her brother's face as she tried to maintain eye-contact with Manjoume. "I mean, my brother and I could look for another table."

Manjoume simply shook his head, placing his devices inside his bag. "It's alright. I'm done with my work anyway, and clearly, there isn't much space for you and Fubuking to sit on. I should tell Shoji to lessen the decorations and add more tables and chairs."

"Why thank you, Manjoume-kun," Fubuki said, placing his tray on the spot where Manjoume's laptop used to be.

As soon as he was done placing his things in his bag, Manjoume faced them. "I'll be leaving now, Tenjoin-kun, Fubuking."

As Fubuki waved a single hand in regard, Asuka stood up from her seat, remembering something. "Ah, wait, Manjoume-kun."

He stopped in his tracks, looking at her.

"Juudai will have another duel this Saturday. If you'll come, why don't you join us? Sho and Misawa will be there too."

He was quiet for a second, only opting to stare at her right in the eyes. Asuka's heart was skipping fast in anticipation, yet she braced herself for the possibility that he would not agree.

"Sure. I'll see you then."

Asuka's eyes brightened in response and she couldn't stop herself from grinning. "Great, see you by then!"

He nodded again, and walked away towards the fancy glass doors.

"Why didn't you tell me you and Manjoume were dating?" Fubuki said with that annoyingly teasing smirk as soon as Manjoume left the shop.

Asuka groaned, completely forgetting that her brother was there. "Ugh, we weren't, okay. It's a busy afternoon and there weren't any chairs left so I just happened to share a table with him—"

He started giggling, adding much to her irritation. "Relax, Asuka-chan. I'm just teasing you. Manjoume pretty much owns this whole mall so it's no surprise that he's here."

Ah, and so she was right… Damn rich guy.

But why does he seem not happy at all, despite having almost everything in his life?

"Say, would you like to have my drink too?" Fubuki playfully remarked, pushing his ice-cold beverage towards her. "Seems like you need it more than me. Your face looks feverish! Odd though, because the air-conditioning seems fine!"

Asuka rolled her eyes, ignoring Fubuki's insinuations. She was doing it out of good will, nothing more.

"Oh, shut up, brother."


	4. Ch 4: Douse

Saturday afternoon came veiled with rain shower, drenching the streets of Domino City. Peering his eyes away from the laptop screen, Manjoume began to stretch his limbs and watched the people outside seeking shelter from the pouring rain. Luckily for him, he was dry and cozy inside his limousine.

Taking a deep breath, his gaze returned to the laptop screen, staring at the various company proposals before him. Scratch that, cozy was not a good word to describe it. The documents were already giving him a headache.

His brothers Chosaku and Shoji, leading in the political and financial domains of the country respectively, were still adamant on him taking over the Duel Monsters world. Both envision him to become the next Kaiba, which wasn't a bad dream if he thought about it, since Kaiba Seto was one of the duelists he admired. It was him that inspired Manjoume to use a dragon-based deck, after all. The process to attain that dream however, wasn't an easy walk to the park. Being in-charge of a large corporation was not a menial task, and he could not even participate in tournaments as much as he liked. The immense pressure that his brothers put on him weren't even helping.

The car took a turn towards one of the busiest roads in the city, where some vastly populated infrastructures stood. The car's pacing began to slow down due to the moderately heavy traffic caused by the density of cars and the slippery roads. Rerouting was not an option, since it was the only road giving access to the stadium. Deciding that it was time to take a break—his eyes were getting tired too—he titled the laptop slightly, looking outside.

On the right side of the road were various food districts which housed some delectable foods—or so he heard, he hadn't tried them yet. On the left side, on the other hand, mounted a university which he recognized from a presentation by their professor, Hibiki Midori, when she was discussing possible job and education opportunities after graduating. He wasn't really paying attention to it that much, since he had his eyes set on the Pro-League back then…until his brothers shoved the company responsibilities to him, anyway.

He propped his elbow on the arm rest, resting his chin on his hand as he lazily watched the students flooding out of the school gates. Amidst the colorful umbrellas, a person standing under a shed in front of the university caught his eyes. The slow pacing of the car gave him ample time to decide what to do next.

"Stop by the shed," he firmly commanded to his chauffer, and when they did, he pressed the switch to lower the car window by his side.

"Tenjoin-kun," he called out, and the look of surprise on Asuka's face was evident.

"Oh! Manjoume-kun, hello!" she greeted back, waving the arm free from books. She seemed to be wearing the same uniform as the students coming out of the university. Upon his instruction, his chauffer went out of the driver's seat with an umbrella, walking beside Asuka.

"You're on your way to the stadium too, correct?" She better be, or else they'd be late for Juudai's match. "Come in."

Her mouth gaped open for a while, looking back at him and his chauffer, seemingly shocked by his proposition. "Yes, I am, but I'll be fine riding the bus, really! Thank you for the offer."

"Tenjoin-kun." He was growing impatient, and the marveled gasps and whispers from the people behind her were starting to irritate him. Is it their first time to see a limo or something? "In case you've forgotten, you were the one who invited me to watch. I don't see any nearby buses in this traffic either." He took a deep breath. "So come in."

Asuka's eyes blinked for several times, before her shoulders slumped down in defeat. "Well, um, okay."

Hmph. Finally.

He moved to the other side of the cushioned seat to give way for Asuka, who uttered a 'thank you' to his chauffer as he closed the door for her.

"Thank you for the ride," Asuka mentioned as soon as they were moving again.

"Don't mention it," he replied nonchalantly, eyeing the books and her uniform. "You're attending the university?"

"Yes, I'm studying again so hopefully, I could work at the Duel Academia soon." She gave him a smile. "I realized that I've always wanted to teach and inspire aspiring duelists."

He nodded back curtly. "I see. That's a nice dream."

"And I'll make that dream a reality," she said, her eyes shining with determination. If there was something admirable about Tenjoin Asuka apart from her wisdom, it was her resolve in doing the things that she liked.

He found his eyes going back to his laptop, staring at the blinking cursor on the document.

Something he wished he had too.

"How…about you, Manjoume-kun?" Asuka spoke again, and when he looked at her, her eyes were on the graphs showing on the screen. "What are you up to, these days?"

"The company, my brothers," he replied, pinching the bridge of his nose, "It's…rather complicated."

She was quiet for a moment, perhaps thinking what to respond. "Is that…the reason why you're not actively participating in tournaments anymore?"

Thankfully, Asuka was sensible enough not to dwell on the topic further. He did not want to burden her much with his own troubles. "Yes," he replied simply, but it was an honest answer.

Asuka looked at him with concern in her eyes so he chose to look away. No, there was no need to involve her with his affairs.

The rest of their trip to the stadium had been quiet.

Soon enough, they reached their destination, and it was Manjoume who broke the silence, telling Asuka that she may leave her books (and suitcase—which looked heavy, what's inside them, anyway?) inside the car.

They entered the stadium just in time, since the announcer was broadcasting the series of events that day. Trailing after Asuka, he ascended the stairs while scanning the almost fully occupied stadium.

"Asuka-san, we're here!" he heard an enthusiastic cry, which he was certain belonged to Marufuji Sho. "…And is that Manjoume-kun?"

"Sho! Misawa!" Asuka regarded back, waving her arm in the air as they walked closer to them. "Yes, I invited Manjoume-kun to watch with us. I'm sure it's alright with you guys?"

For some reason, Sho seemed to be sweating bullets and was nodding with an uneasy smile. He was looking at Misawa in particular. Manjoume raised an eyebrow.

"Of course it's alright," came Misawa Daichi's response, who was blushing as he faced Asuka. When he looked at him, however, the expression completely changed… There was both a friendly and unfriendly aura radiating from him. Was he still sour about his defeat years ago? Nonetheless, Misawa gave a tight-lipped smile at the end. "Manjoume. Nice to see you again."

"Likewise," Manjoume said, "Good to see you are well, Misawa Daichi, Marufuji Sho."

The pleasantries ended when the host finally announced the start of the competition. Manjoume settled himself by the railings, leaning his arms on the metal bar supports on the upper deck.

It was a lot different from what he was used to, a different perspective from where he stood before.

He momentarily glanced at the eager looks on his companions' faces. Somehow, there was a warm feeling inside him, akin to the time when it was the spirit of the Light and Darkness dragon keeping him company. Turning back to the center stage, he couldn't stifle a smile.

Unbeknownst to him, outside, the rain had stopped, and the sun appeared setting beneath the horizon.


	5. Ch 5: Triangle

This day was certainly becoming as awesome as he anticipated!

If there was something Juudai was ecstatic about, aside from winning another duel in the elimination rounds for the Pro-League—which was definitely a fun and exciting battle if he may add—it was that he could see his friends again and have their usual dinner together. Everyone was just so busy nowadays; adult life was such a bummer! He certainly missed the academy days wherein they could meet each other with just the click of a phone call.

There was another thing Juudai was thrilled about.

"Yahoo! We get to ride Manjoume's super awesome limo!" he shouted with vigor, punching hard into the air, "I can't believe it!"

"Keep it down, will you," Manjoume uttered from behind, his face as sour as he remembered. Some things just never change.

It wasn't a surprise for him that Manjoume came to watch the tournament. He had been an avid viewer, as far as he could remember, but he honestly did not expect him to watch alongside Sho and the others. Well, he'll probably know the bottom of the mystery soon enough.

Soon, the limousine arrived, and whoa, was it grand and shiny, that Juudai's jaw almost went straight to the ground! Even Misawa and Sho had similar reactions too, which Asuka found amusing judging from her giggles. Then, Manjoume's driver guy walked out of the car and even opened the door for them. Man, was this how being rich felt like?

Before Manjoume went inside, he gestured for Asuka to come in first, which was natural of course, because ladies first! It earned him a not-so-friendly glare from Misawa though, which was only noticed by him and Sho. They all knew there was nothing much Misawa could do, however. Manjoume owned the car so Misawa didn't really have much of a choice. Poor guy, no pun intended!

Juudai entered right after Manjoume and marveled at the inside of the limousine. Boy, was it more spacious than he imagined. The cushions were softer than his bed, the curtains smelled good, and heck, the whole area was even larger than his bathroom!

"Relax, Aniki!" Sho chuckled, probably seeing through his excitement, and took a seat beside him.

"I can't help it!" Juudai exclaimed, almost vibrating with glee, "Manjoume, your car is AMAZING. You could basically live here! See, you even have your own mini library!"

The statement caused Manjoume's eyebrow to rise up. "What are you talking about?"

"There!" Juudai pointed at the stack of books right in front of Manjoume's feet. "You even have those large volumes of Duel Monsters books!"

"Oh," he mentioned coolly, "Those are Tenjoin-kun's."

Asuka, sitting right in the middle of Manjoume and Misawa, nodded. "Ah, yes, those are mine. I'm taking my master's degree, remember?"

Wait.

Wait.

WAIT!

Asuka wasn't carrying _any_ books in the stadium, right? And weren't those books right inside the car, _Manjoume's_ car, even before they entered?

Tension was starting to form in the atmosphere, and it was coming right out of Misawa. Juudai bit his lip. Looks like the three of them had the same question in their heads, and it was Sho who had the courage to voice it out.

"What are your books doing in Manjoume-kun's limo, Asuka-san?" his bespectacled friend asked with a careful tone.

Juudai gulped, sensing the dark look that was growing on Misawa's face. Right before Asuka had the opportunity to answer, however, it was Manjoume who spoke instead.

"I picked her up from the university and we went to the stadium together," he said with a nonchalant look on his face, "Is there a problem?"

He was certain, _VERY CERTAIN_ , that a vein just popped on Misawa's head.

"Ah, yes," Asuka agreed, "That, Manjoume-kun did."

The dark aura coming out of Misawa was freaking Juudai out. Heck, it was a lot similar to the dark smoke he saw from the shadow games. Juudai almost squeaked.

"A-ah, Aniki! Your duel was really awesome, you know!" Sho interjected quickly, earning him a confused look from Asuka. Thank the Egyptian god cards for Sho, Juudai almost died of heart attack. "Your Masked Heroes really kicked his Dinosaur deck's sorry butt! Hehehehehe! What do you think about it, Asuka-san?"

"Oh, I think Juudai's performance was certainly amazing!" Asuka said, completely unaware of his and Sho's internal turmoil right before the interruption, "Of course, I expect nothing less from Juudai."

Juudai only chuckled nervously. This was going to be a long night.

The one-sided tension between Misawa and Manjoume continued even until they reached Space Burger, their usual dinner place. He didn't even have time to ponder on how Manjoume would feel eating in a place that may not suit his expensive tastes because Misawa was being extra scary!

After placing their orders, their chats went on, though it was noticeably between Sho and Asuka only. Misawa was quieter than usual—Juudai knew why, of course—and occasionally he caught him sending glares towards Manjoume. It came to a point when Manjoume noticed and started to glare back. Juudai began to wonder if Misawa was actually stupid despite his genius reputation or was just gifted with balls of steel, because if Manjoume's glares were a monster card, it was a Level 12 monster card that would freeze hell over! It was at that moment when Juudai felt that he needed to intervene.

"Misawa!" Juudai slammed his hands on the table loudly, causing even the other customers to glare at him. Muttering a sorry, he spoke in a much softer voice. "Could you help me get some condiments? We, uh, need some ketchup for the fries!"

Misawa gave him a weird look, but Juudai tilted his head slightly, pointing his eyes towards the corner. Misawa, proving that he was the smart guy Juudai thought he was, understood the message and stood from the table, excusing himself.

"Relax, man," Juudai whispered as they went to the condiments area, "I honestly don't think there's anything going on between Asuka and Manjoume. Come on, it's _Manjoume_!" Juudai hoped he emphasized enough with his last tone, because he himself felt that it would totally be bizarre for Manjoume Jun, sour faced Overlord with powerful frosty gazes, to suddenly develop feelings for their friend Asuka and become Misawa's love rival or something.

Misawa was quiet for a moment, staring blankly at the condiments in front of them. He took a deep breath and sighed loudly. "Fine. Maybe I'm overthinking things a bit."

Juudai breathed out in relief. He was aware of Misawa's progress, or rather, not-progress when it came to courting Asuka. From what he knew, he's been in love with her since the Academia days, and Misawa told him that he'd tell her how he felt after graduating. Poor dude was so unlucky that he and Asuka's adult schedules would just not get along. Bummer!

Somehow, Juudai even understood why he's so frustrated. Heck, he'll also feel frustrated if someone was in the way of getting his Pro-League trophy! Although he honestly wouldn't mind if there was a good duel in between getting it. Besides, it was just a trophy, and he believed that experience was what mattered in the end. But wouldn't that mean that Misawa regarded Asuka as some material object...?

Scratch that, he did not understand _at all_.

When they returned—with packets of ketchup and mayonnaise, of course, because that was _totally_ the reason why they went there in the first place—most of their orders were already on the table.

"What took you guys so long?" Asuka said, munching on some of her fries.

"Yeah, we were just talking about the times when Asuka was the reigning Miss Duel Academia!" Sho proudly exclaimed, much to the embarrassment of their female friend. "Too bad they changed the rule that female students could only reign once though. I bet Asuka would be a three-time Duel Academia Queen!"

"The rule, as much as I agree with you, Sho, would probably be for the best. They say it caused Kohinata Seika's head to inflate big since she wanted to have the title for three straight years," Misawa added, and it relieved Juudai to hear him speak since it meant that he was acting normal again, "N-not that I would say the same thing would happen to you, Asuka, I'm sure you'd stay the way you are!"

"Oh shut it guys," Asuka muttered while waving a hand in front of her already pink face, "You're embarrassing me!"

"Dey're juhst shaying da trhuth, dough!" Juudai said with his mouth full of fries, which he swallowed with one gulp. "It reminds me of our first duel against each other! You were so awesome back then!"

"The two of you dueled in that event?" Manjoume inquired, to his surprise. But it was a good kind of surprise, since it meant that Manjoume was making an effort to join their conversation.

"Yes, but I lost against him, though," Asuka answered with a smile.

"Eh, it was an exciting fight, nonetheless!" Juudai retorted back, "I couldn't forget that bold move you made with Doble Passé!"

Sho chuckled as he nodded his head with the memory. "It's kinda funny that it all happened because you didn't vote, Aniki."

"Right," Misawa said with a teasing tone, "If he _only_ just voted…"

"Hey, stop pinning this on me, guys! Besides, that all happened in the past already, right?" Juudai turned to the quiet Manjoume, who appeared to be content in listening to their exchange as he ate his burger meal. "Speaking of Miss Duel Academia, I have always wondered about this as a student. Who did you vote for back then, Manjoume?"

No one spoke for a while, and Juudai realized that all of them must be curious on who he voted for.

He did not disappoint with his straightforward answer. "It was Tenjoin-kun."

If none of the whole suspected 'Manjoume-and-Asuka-becoming-a-thing' happened that night—courtesy of Misawa's paranoia—he felt like he would find nothing wrong with Manjoume's answer. He might have been indecisive before, but Juudai learned that Asuka was a formidable duelist who deserved those votes. But why did hearing his revelation make Juudai rethink about Manjoume's possible feelings towards her?

He wasn't even able to see Asuka's reaction with his disclosure, because the ringing tune of a mobile phone interrupted their whole conversation.

"Ah, sorry, it's mine," Asuka said, fumbling inside her bag as she stood up. "Excuse me, I'll just take this call."

And then they were left awkwardly sitting around the table. Awkward only applied to him and Sho though, because Misawa and Manjoume seemed to resume their staring contest right after Asuka left.

"So, what are you reasons for voting Asuka, huh, Manjoume?" Misawa decided to say, and his tone was notably more confident, probably due to the absence of the girl of his affections. Juudai glanced at Sho, and he realized the two of them were bracing on their seats nervously.

"I do not see why my reasons should be of any concern to you, Misawa Daichi," Manjoume calmly responded, which seemed to piss off Misawa even more. "Besides, I personally believe that competition was rather superficial. Even Tenjoin-kun didn't appear to be pleased being involved in that event."

"Don't evade the question," Misawa threw back with a pointed look.

The crease between Manjoume's eyebrows only grew deeper. "Fine. I shall humor you this time. Among the participants, I believe it was Tenjoin-kun who possessed most prowess when it came to both practical and theoretical components of the field. She was amongst the honorable mentions even during the first two quarters of our freshman year."

Well, Manjoume was right about that, for sure. If anything, Juudai would've come up with the same answer…with less fancier words, of course.

However, Misawa didn't seem satisfied with his answer. "Those are a given already. Anything else?"

Manjoume frowned even more. "What else is there to say?"

"So you don't find her beautiful, is that what you're saying?"

"I did not say that," Manjoume said back, his eyes unyielding, "But that was beyond the point I was saying. It's exactly why I think the event was stupid. It reduces the contestant's worth to their outer appearance and not their skills in battle. And this is simply an assumption because I was not present, but if it had not been for Yuki Juudai, the audience would not have recognized Tenjoin-kun's talents, am I correct?"

Misawa was frowning too but was not saying anything, most likely because he agreed. Juudai couldn't say the same since he was still processing Manjoume's words.

"And to give you a peace of mind," he continued indifferently, "I recognize that Tenjoin-kun is stunning in both looks and her skills. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Brr. Did the staff lower the air-conditioning to some degrees or was that the declaration of a cold war?

"Hey guys, I'm back," Asuka returned, breaking the cold atmosphere with her presence. Neither Misawa nor Manjoume turned to her, and she was most likely confused to discover them eating in awkward silence. "Um, did something happen when I was gone?"

It was Sho, brave little Sho, who answered again for them. "Nothing, Asuka-san. Come on and eat; your food is getting cold!"

Truly it was nothing important.

Just the intensifying rivalry between two of their friends.

And the brewing of a possible love triangle, or so he thought.


	6. Ch 6: Warmth

Manjoume stared blankly at the bright screens before him.

The small-scale dueling tournament hosted by the Manjoume group had already ended, a charity event sponsored by the company he had been handling for the past two years. It aimed to encourage ordinary people who had yet to play Duel Monsters to have a first hand experience with the field, giving participants their own starter pack duel cards and duel disks.

It was the starting project for many other events he discussed with his team. From what he had gathered so far, it had been pretty much successful; he had high hopes for it, actually, and it pleased him to know that various volunteer groups also agreed to help in terms of manpower. It somehow displeased him, however, that despite being inside the main control room where he could oversee the event, he was not given the opportunity to witness the ending of the event due to an encounter with his brothers in that very room he was in.

It was painful, tender to touch. He knew, he felt that the spot under his left eye was in a terrible state after being the receiving end of his brother's fist. He could have evaded it if he wanted to, but years of experience told him it was less complicared to do otherwise. He was pretty much expecting it, anyway, after he had chosen to defy their wishes in favor of doing what he wanted. If there was a first time in this incident, it was that Chosaku opted for more physical rather than verbal means.

It started that morning. It was a rare occurrence that all of three of them were present in the Manjoume estate for breakfast, given their different schedules. His brothers were the only immediate family he had, and an outsider may think that he, Jun, would look forward to eating with them again, just like the old times. Perhaps he would, once upon a time, but ever since their parents died, his brothers had become distant, leaving him behind to fend for himself, his studies, his company.

But now, he hated, no, _dreaded_ meeting them. Despite all of his achievements, they never failed to make him feel as if he were just a measly creature, an insignificant dog that they had to feed only because he had been around the same house as them. A dog that they expected to be loyal to them and follow their every commands. And if the dog disobeyed, there was punishment.

It made Jun wonder, what was his fault for earning their hate? Was it because they blamed him for the death of their mother because of his birth? Did they blame him for the death of their father, who was involved in a car accident when he was on his way to his Junior League championship tournament? They never really spoke about those incidents, because one day they just decided to turn away from him. But one thing was for sure, he knew he blamed himself.

It was their older brother Chosaku who changed drastically. He recalled him being a warm-hearted brother as a child, and he was actually very supportive of his interest in Duel Monsters, despite never playing it. But when their father died, the warmth was replaced with cold indifference. Jun tried to understand that it was because all responsibilities were placed on his hands when their father left the world.

Jun always had the feeling that Shoji did not like him, no matter how hard he tried to please him. Perhaps it was because Jun was not a good replacement for their mother, who he heard was very loving. Perhaps it was because Jun garnered more attention and support from his father than him. Nothing much had changed even when his father encountered the accident, but he felt the incident made Shoji justify his hate more for him.

That morning, Chosaku reminded him of their vision of Jun becoming the next Kaiba. He shrugged it off, telling his older brothers that he was doing the best that he could.

But what ticked Jun off was their next statement.

They clarified that they meant they wanted him to overthrow Kaiba and buy the KaibaCorp from him, and that no, Jun was not doing the best because Jun was wasting his time with his silly projects which were simply a waste of money.

No. That was not what he wanted. And they were not silly.

It wasn't just because he respected Kaiba. He had learned that not everything was about reigning superior, being at the top. There was also something great about co-existing with other people and getting along with them, something he envisioned with his branch company by having significant collaborations.

Jun explained that the tournament he planned was simply an investment for his future plans for the company. He even added that he was doing Chosaku a favor because the charity event was a way of boosting his image with the citizens, which would benefit him in political world.

But they did not listen. Instead, they ordered him to cancel the _silly_ tournament and to attend a _good_ investment deal that afternoon.

After breakfast, Jun crumpled the paper his brothers gave him and threw it to the fireplace.

There was no way he would stop the tournament just because they told him to. Not when he prepared wholeheartedly for it.

And when Chosaku learned that he did not show up in the meeting with the aspiring business partners, he took out his frustration on his face. Jun could've sworn that a smirk appeared on Shoji's face when it happened, even when his brother told Chosaku to stop.

His face was throbbing. The logical part in him said that he should probably get some ice and treat it as soon as possible, yet another part of him was unmoving, telling him to embrace the space he had even just for a few minutes, the quiet, comfortable darkness that the dim room had offered him. After a while, he realized that he already picked the latter choice. He was not ready to leave the room yet. He was not ready to show the people outside what had become of him.

He did not know how much time had passed until he heard a knock from behind him, and when he turned his chair around, the door began to open, giving way for a carpet of light to partially illuminate the room. Behind the door was a figure whose identity he could not make out at first due to the shadows of the room basking her features.

"Excuse me, I was told that the events coordinator is here—"

"He had just left," Manjoume replied immediately, earning him a gasp from the person whose identity he now recognized.

What was she doing here?

His own mind quickly answered for him as he recalled that her university was among the volunteer groups that assisted in the event that day.

He stood up, walking his way towards her, slowly showering himself with the light from the outside.

"Manjoume-kun," she regarded him with a smile that was hidden beneath the shadows, but it was soon replaced with a look of shock as he was nearing his approach.

"What do you need, Tenjoin-kun?" he said, completely ignoring her horrified expression.

She took a step closer, reaching out a hand. "Manjoume-kun, your face—!"

"Tenjoin-kun," he repeated with the same professional tone. Having an indifferent face was difficult in his state of vulnerability, so he tried to mask his emotions with a forced smile instead. His eye contact never faltered. "What do you need?"

It worked, somehow, and she explained that she needed some details about the events for some paperwork. He provided them easily for her.

"If you have more questions, you could contact me here," he said, handing her his business card.

She took it without peering her eyes away from him, with worry plastered all over her face, just like last time.

"Have a good day. If you'll excuse me..." Manjoume took a step back, ready to immerse himself back in solitude. Before he could however, Asuka caught his arm, stopping him in his tracks and inadvertently causing the door to open further, momentarily blinding him with more light entering his eyes.

"Manjoume-kun, are you okay?" He realized that her question puzzled him, not because how obvious the answer to it was, but because it made him experience an unfamiliar emotion.

He came up with a realization—not once in his life had someone ever ask it of him. Not once had anyone bothered to ask him that at home or in the academy.

The heat of her grip that enveloped his arm was contagious, spreading throughout his body.

"If you need someone to talk to, know that I am here to listen."

Whatever wall he was struggling to keep up came crashing down upon hearing her words.

"The company, my brothers," he started, recalling that he also said similar words to her before.

She let go of his arm, yet the warmth lingered. "I'm listening."

Soon the lights of the room were turned on, and they were sitting across each other as he disclosed the thoughts that he had earlier. The more he spoke, the less the weight he felt around his heart. He was not sure how long he talked, but Asuka patiently listened.

"Have you ever tried talking about it to your brothers?" he heard her say, and he did not know what expression she had because his eyes remained on the ground.

"No," he said, "I do not see the point in it. They do not listen."

Asuka went silent for a while. "Well, what if they do, but they just don't show it?"

"I do not find that believable. Do tell me an instance, then." It dawned to him how unfair his question was, since Asuka knew next to nothing about his brothers. Before he could rephrase it, she answered him, surprisingly.

"How about that thing about the chairs in your brother's café?"

"I haven't had the chance to visit that place again."

Asuka smiled. "Well, my brother Fubuki has, and he told me that there were more chairs than usual."

He felt his heart skip a beat. Was it really true? Shoji often dismissed his suggestions…

"You should see it for yourself," Asuka continued, the smile not leaving her face, "I think…it's a natural thing for siblings not to get along sometimes. Fubuki and I are like that because we have our differences, but it the end, the blood relations prevail."

It was Manjoume's turn to be silent, as he tried to digest what Asuka had said.

"Are you happy?" came her next question. When he did not reply immediately, she asked it again. "Are you happy with what you are doing?"

"I wouldn't say that I'm not happy with the company," he muttered, "but I would be lying if I said I don't have much preferred dream."

"And that dream is…?"

He shifted his position, turning his head to face her. "To duel. My aspirations to join the Pro-League never left. I want to duel all kinds of people around the world and I want them to know what I'm capable of."

"That's a great dream." Her eyes, which he realized were a beautiful shade of hazel, were sincere. "So what do you plan to do now?"

"I don't know," he said truthfully, because he did not really. "But I guess, talking to my brothers isn't a bad idea."

When Asuka chose not to say anything further, he took it as the opportunity to say one more thing that he had been meaning to tell her.

"Thank you, Tenjoin-kun."

"Not a problem." The way she smiled back triggered another surge of warmth on his face. "Hmm, to cheer you up, why don't we have a duel? It's been a long time since I had one."

"A duel?" he echoed with a questioning tone. But they had no duel disks lying around the room.

"We don't have duel disks at the moment… But we can do it the traditional way," she said, pointing with her thumb at a nearby table.

"Let's do it, then." For the first time that day, Manjoume's lips curled upwards in a smile.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you, though!" Asuka winked at him, and he huffed out in amusement. Although her dueling records had not surpassed his yet—unsurprising of course, since not a lot of people have that honor—he knew it was quite exceptional, nonetheless. "Before we start, could we now please do something about your face first?" she said, gesturing at his bruise.

Ah. He completely forgot about it.

He ended up requesting for ice from one of his staff, and while waiting, settled for using Asuka's water bottle as temporary relief for his bruise as they started their duel.

Even if he had always been used to the silent comforts of darkness, on that day, Manjoume learned to appreciate even the warm comfort of light, along with the hope it brought.


End file.
